Avalanche

Avalanche: South Monitor Bowl

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Quick report

Slope Angle
36°

Avalanche

Slab Width
122 m
Weak Layer
Facets
Trigger Type
Skier
Avalanche Type
Soft Slab
Slab Thickness
91 cm
Trigger Detail
Unintentionally Triggered
Start Zone Aspect
North
Avalanche Problem
Persistent Weak Layer
Start Zone Elevation
2865 m

I was walking the ridge line towards S Monitor and I was pretty sure nothing was going to happen because I was there Tuesday and the ridge was wind scoured and firm with only a little bit of old faceted snow in a few spots. Well I must have stepped on one of those spots, got a large collapse and saw a powder cloud. I remotely triggered it from at least 70ft away on the flats. When I went to investigate it I realized that a shooting crack traveled at least 300ft from the initial avalanche, across flater terrain and triggered another avalanche in the main bowl mid-slope, that slide had way too much hangfire for my liking and I stayed away from it. Both slides ran on depth hoar/ facets at the ground interface and dirt and grass was noted in both bed surfaces. Breaking trail up USA Bowl I was getting collapses constantly and figured thinks were nearing the breaking point.